FEDERAL WORK-STUDY UPDATE
December 1, 1997
| In this issue: | List of helpful resources |
| Letter about new FWS waiver for family literacy programs, effective 7/1/98 | |
| Principles and Key Components for High Quality America Reads Programs |
A MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR CAROL H. RASCO
At this time of year we experience such a terrific season of holidays. I am always reminded of the wonderful times I spent with my own children reading holiday storybooks, both fact and fiction, and learning about what this special time of year meant to others. What joy we would experience reading our old favorites and exploring new stories that came our way as gifts from friends and family. Our family never ceases to grin as we gather for Thanksgiving and read, even now, "Thanksgiving At The Tappletons." Because this was such an important time in my family, and because I know you support children's literacy, I encourage you to think about promoting the value of books as gifts.
A favorite book of mine to give for any occasion is "Harold's Purple Crayon." I always include a crayon or marker of any color along with a note to the child encouraging him or her to draw their own book. Let your imagination soar with ideas...the gift of a book is one that indeed keeps on giving!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
In the remaining days before Congress left for the holidays, they acted to support America Reads tutoring programs by moving forward on a bipartisan reading bill, and by increasing funds in our appropriations bill for literacy activities under several of the Department of Education's existing programs. In addition, they allocated a substantial increase to the Corporation for National Service for children's literacy activities.
A total of $52 million was allocated to improve and expand existing programs that support children's literacy. The funding breakout includes $25 million for the Eisenhower Professional Development program specifically targeted to improve professional development for teachers in the area of reading; $22 million for the Even Start family literacy program; and $5 million to be used for tutor training under a flexible authority called the Fund for the Improvement of Education.
Congress allocated money in this fashion to help reach the goal of assisting students in the classroom, the home, and the community. The Department will now work to devise the most strategic way to use these funds so that efforts can be coordinated and America Reads programs can be supported.
The Corporation for National Service received a $24 million increase for AmeriCorps*VISTA, $25 million for AmeriCorps, and $19 million for National Senior Service Corps. This increase will result in 100,000 new volunteer tutors to support the America Reads Challenge.
RESOURCES YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL
Occasionally we learn about print and online resources we think America Reads colleges might find useful in planning and implementing their programs. Here are several you might want to check out:
The International Reading Association's newest publication in support of the America Reads Challenge is "The Reading Team: A Handbook for Volunteer Tutors K-3 - The America Reads Edition" by Lesley Mandel Morrow and Barbara J. Walker. You can check it out at www.reading.org, call 1-800-336-READ to learn more about the publication and the IRA's support for the America Reads Challenge, or receive information via e-mail at pubinfo@reading.org.
"Read With Me: A Guide for Student Volunteers Starting Early Childhood Literacy Programs" is designed for college students interested in starting public service reading programs in their communities. The guide was developed by Chandler Arnold, a Harvard University student whose 1997 summer internship project at the U.S. Department of Education included developing this guide. While geared to college students working with preschool children, many ideas in the booklet can be adapted for children of different ages. Access the guide on the U.S. Department of Education's home page at www.ed.gov/pubs/ReadWithMe/, or call the National Institute on Early Childhood Education, 202-219-1935.
The Learning Disabilities Project at WETA provides LDOnLine, an Internet source for information and ideas on the range of issues facing the learning disabled community. You can visit their site at www.ldonline.org.
In a previous Update, we had mentioned the Learning to Read --Reading to Learn: Helping Children with Learning Disabilities to Succeed web site. The correct address is http://www.cec.sped.org/ericec/readlist.htm
The Alphabet Superhighway is a web site that focuses on helping schools and teachers build their competencies in using the worldwide web as part of their lesson plans. It has been developed by Richard Venezky of the University of Delaware, and was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Technology Fund as part of the Read*Write*Now! Program. It can also be a good resource for tutors who want to use computer technology as a means of helping children learn to read. Several sites on the Alphabet Superhighway post students' writing and artwork. You can check it out at www.ash.udel.edu.
Bank Street College has a site on its home page dedicated to the America Reads Challenge that offers a wealth of information for volunteer tutors. Topics include your role as a tutor; early reading development; how to plan your time with your student; how to work with early and emergent readers as well as fluent readers; hints for successful tutoring; and many more practical and useful strategies. Check it out at www.bnkst.edu.
In our efforts to keep you posted on potential reference materials for your programs, you may wish to review "Case Studies in Teaching Beginning Readers: The Howard Street Tutoring Manual" by Darrell Morris. Mr. Morris is the Director of the Reading Clinic and Professor of Education at Applachian State University in Boon, North Carolina. The publication is available from Fieldstream Publications, 395 Fieldstream Drive, Boone, NC 28607. The book describes how to start one-to-one tutoring programs for struggling primary-grade readers, and includes information on how to start a program, how to supervise the work of the volunteer tutors, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of the tutoring effort.
COMING SOON!
Service Counts: Revitalizing Literacy Efforts in American Higher Education: This publication produced by Campus Compact focuses on the issue of literacy and how higher education can support it. It works to address the challenges of initiating or extending literacy programs. This manual includes model literacy programs, resources for getting started and an issues and ideas section that identifies and addresses major topics concerning literacy in America. For those schools that are Campus Compact members, you will be receiving your copies of this manual shortly. The Corporation for National Service has also mailed copies to the remaining America Reads colleges. So watch for this useful publication.
SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICA READS PROGRAMS
On November 18, 1997, Texas colleges and universities attended an America Reads FWS Roundtable where they discussed their experiences and ideas for implementing an America Reads program. One participant noted how helpful it was to network with other colleges to share what they've learned and how they might work together to meet the goal of the America Reads Challenge. This is one of the reasons we distribute the Update - our way of acknowledging the good work being accomplished for our nation's children and a way to share who's doing what.
We encourage you to get together with colleges in your area and/or state to share ideas and solutions to common issues faced. If we can help by sending materials or having a pre-briefing by phone with the facilitator(s) of such a meeting, we will be happy to do so. Please contact Cynthia Wong at 202-401-8888 to discuss meeting plans.
Every time we get a letter or phone call from an America Reads college telling us about the exciting things happening on their campus, we can hardly wait to share it. With 819 colleges and universities on board, we know there are many stories to be told. So, if you want to share your story in a paragraph or two, or call us and tell us about your efforts, contact Cynthia Wong or Diane Jones by e-mail or regular mail at:
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Ave., SW, Room 6100, Washington, DC 20202
e-mail to cynthia.wong@ed.gov
or diane.b..jones@ed.gov
SPOTLIGHT ON COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES MEETING THE CHALLENGE
At Arizona State University, Federal Work-Study student tutors spend weekdays working with students participating in the Kids Zone after-school program at eight Tempe elementary schools, and at a Saturday program held at a Phoenix public library working with bilingual students. Their curriculum was developed by two students from the ASU School of Education, and centers around using award-winning children's books to capture children's interest in reading. The story session is followed by literacy enrichment activities that can include story maps, readers' theater, paired reading character mobiles and reading and writing activities. For more information, contact James Hurwitz, 602-965-5290.
More than 70 FWS students from Yale University are paired with third grade students at Dwight Elementary School in New Haven, Connecticut. Tutors work with their students for one hour after school, three to four days a week. As part of their time together, the pair spends an hour reading and exploring at the public library on the weekend. For more information, contact Reggie Solomon, 203-436-2991.
From Postmarks, a campus publication mailed to the parents of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana undergraduate students, the following..."More than 250 University of Illinois undergraduates have answered the call of their president to wage war. Their weapons are books and pencils. The enemy is illiteracy; the front lines; Champaign elementary schools." University Federal Work-Study students are partnering with students in 17 schools; graduate students serve as coordinators. A noted plus is that many of the undergraduate students are fluent in languages other than English, a situation that is creating strong partnerships and role modeling opportunities for children whose first language is not English. Students were recruited at an America Reads Information Fair in September, with some 300 applying for the open positions. For more information, contact Orlo Austin, Director of Student Financial Aid, (217) 244-2024; FAX (217) 244-6589; or e-mail o-austin@uiuc.edu.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMERICA READS CHALLENGE...
The America Reads Listserv is a forum for interested parties to discuss questions and best practices regarding America Reads programs. A listserv is a mailing list of people who communicate about a common interest through e-mail. The America Reads Listserv was created for colleges, universities, students, experts and practitioners in the field of literacy to share best practices, publications, curriculum, ideas on how to mobilize for this effort, federal work-study issues, etc.
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The America Reads Web Site contains an overview of the Challenge, legislative update, research, examples of tutoring programs, and READY*SET*READ and Read*Write*Now! tutoring materials in English and Spanish. By clicking on "Federal Work-Study Issues," you can find FWS questions and answers and the Expanding FWS and Community Service guide (or by calling 1-800-4FEDAID).
http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/
Carol H. Rasco, Director, America Reads Challenge, U.S. Department of Education,
600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 6100, Washington, D.C. 20202
Ph: (202) 401-8888, Fax: (202) 401-0596, E-mail:
carol.rasco@ed.gov
Dr. Marsha Adler, Office of the President, San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132
Ph: (415) 338-6879, Fax: (415) 338-6885, E-mail: mnadler@sfsu.edu
Sandra Fonseca, Corporation for National Service
1201 New York Avenue, N.W., 9th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20525
Ph: (202) 606-5000x280, Fax:(202) 565-2786, E-mail: sfonseca@cns.gov
Toll free number for comments or ordering publications:
1-800-USA-LEARN or TDD 1-800-437-0833
ATTACHMENTS (Not included here)
- Letter about new FWS waiver for family literacy programs, effective 7/1/98
- Principle and Key Components for High Quality America Reads National Service Program Initiatives
As a tool for the planning process of the America Reads Challenge, the Corporation for National Service has drafted the attached document, "Principles and Key Components for High Quality America Reads National Service Program Initiatives." This summary of core elements reflects current research from the Department of Education and other expert sources on effective practices for tutoring programs. The Corporation is currently publishing this document as a guide for developing, implementing and improving the quality of national service America Reads initiatives.
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